The Present

As I walked through the woods today I enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the chill of the air, the perfect harmony of the season, and symphony of the leaves crunching under my feet. Thoughts of summer’s golden sunshine and excitement for winter’s clean white snow couldn’t hold a candle to fall’s perfection. It reminded me how important it is to live life in the moment. I could have dwelled on missing summer’s warmth or relishing that its exhausting humidity was absent. I could have wished for winter’s snow to play in or savored the fact that the days are still long. But I didn’t. I just thought about how wonderful the fall is.

It made me think about my life and my relationship with God. Am I living my life in the present? Or am I too focused on past mistakes or future promises? I realized when I pray to God I ask for forgiveness for past wrongs and I ask for future blessings. Of course I remember to thank God for life, friends, family, warmth, shelter, and food, but that’s not the point. Being thankful isn’t all that matters now. I need to take control of my life in the present and make certain that it is all that it can be. So instead of asking for future blessings tonight, I’m going to ask for positivity, guidance, and happiness. That’s all I really need for this moment.

“To live in the present moment is a miracle. The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.”
– Thich Nhat Hahn